Think forward

In December 2013, Phoenix’s Mayor Greg Stanton said his city had effectively ended chronic homelessness for its war veterans.

How? The mayor, along with the city council, prioritized affordable housing, aided by $1.8 million in local general funds and another $6.5 million in federal grants and, as a result, found placement for 222 of the city's homeless vets, according to the City of Phoenix's official Web page.

Impressive.

Can something similar happen in Sacramento?

Shamus Roller thinks so.

Roller, interim director for Sacramento Steps Forward, an organization that aids the homeless by distributing federal housing grants to local service providers, says he believes the city can end homelessness for anyone without safe and permanent shelter.

Roller, who is also the executive director for Housing California, has tasked himself to find grant dollars for local affordable housing developments. It's “cheaper” to end homelessness, Roller explains, than it is to simply “manage” it.

In other words, it's smarter to fix the system wholesale than it is to slap another bandage on an ever-growing problem.

That's the kind of forward thinking this city needs, and just one reason we included Roller in our cover package profiling 14 Sacramentans who have the vision (not to mention skills, talents and resources) needed to accomplish their goals (see page 10).

In addition to Roller, there are advocates for the needy and developers who imagine Sacramento as a thriving metropolis. There's an inventive chef and a critically acclaimed actress, a crime reformer and a neighborhood builder.

What do the next 12 months hold for Sacramento? If these 14 people have any say, 2014 could be the city's best, most exciting and innovative year yet.